Romo can’t get a grip

That’s basically why the Cowboys quarterback is finally at peace with not being able to play until after the Cowboys’ open week.

Tony Romo told reporters in Irving today that he tried to give it a go in St. Louis, but his failure to grip the ball put him on the sidelines.

“I wouldn’t have been able to play at any kind of level that we have been able to help this team during that game,” Romo said.

So now it’s up to Brad Johnson to pull the Cowboys out of their tailspin. On Sunday, he faces the team he guided to a Super Bowl victory after the 2002 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One of the two remaining starters from that club said in a conference call he expects Johnson to bounce back from his three-interception performance in the Cowboys’ 20-point loss to the Rams last weekend.

“We know he’s going to play a lot better than he did against the Rams,” Bucs LB Derrick Brooks said. “We expect the best effort out of ‘Bull.’ We expect him to execute their offense.”